Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



ot' a double-barreled gun, suspended or sup- UNITE PIERRE BOURDEREAUX, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T() JOSEPH MERNIN AND EDVVARI) R. BRAY.

Specification forming parJ ot' Letters Patent No. 59,706, dated November 13, ltitl.

To all whom it 'may conversa:

Be it known that l, Pisanu Becam-meaux, of the city, county, and State ot' New York, have, invented certain new and useful improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that. the tollowiug is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being;- had tothe accornpanying;` drawings, forming part ot' this spceitiiaition, in which- Figure l is a top View ot the breech part of a donble-barreled gun with my improvements; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. Il is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe same in the planes indicated by the line .r a: iu Fig. l. lille". -l is a transverse vertical section in the piane indicated by the line y y in Figs. 1, 2, and il. Fig. 5 is a face View ot' the hammer. Fig'. is a central longitudinal section ot` a shell that is inserted in the barrels when the gun is to bc used as a mnzzlelcader.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in the several tigures.

This invention is more especially' applicable t-o double-barrclml breech-loading shot-guns, but is also applicable to donblc-barreled breechloading ritles.

It consists in a certain novel provision for the tiring ot' metallic cartridges inserted at the breech and having t'ulminate priming in the hollow flanged heads of their shells, or for the tiring; either ot center-tire cartridges inserted at the breech, or ot' charges inserted at the. muzzle, by means of percussion-caps applied to tixed nipples secured in the-breech; and it further consists in a novel mode and means ot' operating the (an'tridge-shell extractor tor witlnlrawiin,r the discharged shells from the chambers ot the barrels.

To enable others skilled in the art to apply my invention to use, lwill proceed to describe it with refercnceto the drawin A A in the drawings represent the barrels ported in a readily-detac-halle manner by a clip, u, on a pin, b, so that when locked down by a suitably-constrm:ted key, e, as represented l, in Fig. 2, they will t'orm a tight junction at l the breech, but admittingr ot' such barrels, turning the key, beingr upset, as in the case break-down guns, or of the barre-ls being removed, a detachable locking-strap, 1, serviut,r to complete the hold, or tightening: and facilitating thc removal ofthe parts. As this mode ot' hanging, however, and inode ot' openiup,` and closing at the breech may bc varied, V

i shall not here more minutely describe it.

To make a gun readily adaptable to tiring; metallic cartridges inserted at the breech and having' fuhnnate priming' in the hollow tiangeTl head ot' their shells, and at another time for the tiring,r cit-her ot' center-tire cartridges, likewise inserted at the breech, or ot' charges entered at the muzzle, l use and arrangey one above or alongside the other, in line with the barrel and in rear of it, (duplicating such arrangement t'or two barrcls,) a sliding; tiring-pin, e, for the hollow-liangc-primed cartridge, and t'or the center-fire cartridges, or ot charges inserted at the muzzle, a tixed percussion-cap nipple, f, and suitably construct the hammer so as to adapt the hammer to act upon either of these attachments to the breech B, in which they are or may be secured-the one (that is, the cap-uipplef) b v screwing' it into the breech, and the other (the sliding tiring-pin e) by locking it through a collar on which a spring acts to throw said pin out within abox or cap, g, likewise secured into the breech, it not being,r designed to remove either the cap-nipple or tiring-pin t'roin their places when changingr the action ot' the hammel' to Strike either, so that neither will be exposed to bein glost or misplaced, but always be in place. This will be advantageous, especially in the case ot` adouble-lmrreleil ,euu act ing', the one haunner, say, ou a percussion-wip, and the other hammer on a tiring-pin, where the division of the anmmnition at hand reuderssuch alternate use especially desirable, or when it is desired to continue, say, a series ot' rounds from one or both barrels, tirst ot' one description ot' ammunition and then ot the other, wit-hout losing time to change the nipple ortiring-pin. This, then, be it understood., is a tixed prov' `ion oi' cap-nipple and tiring-piu, only necessarily detachable t'or re ncwal or repair, in contradistinction-to a reon l movable one requiring change or detachment.

ofl accordingly as either ct' said devices is ine same tended to be used, the hammer, in the present instance., beingdepended upon to operate either one at pleasure. Prior to describing a hammer construction for such purpose, I would observe thatJ whatever mode of adjustment be adopted it is all-important that the hammer (l ot' either barrel should be so hung, and its range so applied, that it strikes and operates i'air or straight from behind the ring-pin or cap-nipple in line with the barrel, or as nearly so as it is practicable, so as to produce as little down thrust or pressure as possible, either in the explosion ot' the cap or projection ofthe tiring-pin against thel hollow iiange forming; the priminghead ot' the cartridge; and this remark applies` prominently to the sliding tiring-pin, which the hammer has not only to strike, but follow up the movement ot'. The barrels A A', too, it may vbe observed, have an annulai groove, li., only interrupted where cut away for the exploded cartridge-shell extractor, as hereinafter described, at their rear ends, to receive alike the luillow-tianged head of the cartridge or perforated solid head ot' a loose shell or chamber, D, which may be similarly entered at the breech to receive the charge ot'powder inserted at the muzzle. \Vhen this last-named mode of tiring is used, the cap-nipple may be slightly screwed farther inward, so as to enter at its tapered inner end a tiared inouth to the orih'ce in the back or head of the loose shell orchalnber.

The following will sutice to describe a mode of constructing the hammer so as to make it strike at pleasure either the tiring-pin or capuipple. livoted by a shank, i, to the head of the hammer C, so as to be capable ot' turninr in or on it, is a face-piece, E, having a striking-projection, k, eccentrically situated on its face, which is further surmounted by an ordi nary partial tlange or border, 1 cut away, as

at m. This facepiece E is limited in its turning action in or on the head ot' the hammer by a stoppin, u,whieh, fitting' in a groove, o, cut partially round the shanki, arrests the movement ofthe face-piece, both when it is Vturned so as to bring the projection.kopposite the tiring-pin e and when it is turned so as `to take the projection l.' out ot' line with said pin for the action ofthe face-'piece on thecapaiipple i', said projection lr serving` to strike fair and t'ollow up the sliding' tiring-pin without any eontactot' the .hammer or its face-piece on the-rap-nipple, and, on turning the t'ace# lthe groove in which piece so as to free the projection l: from conthe tiring-pin, by reason ot' the arrangement' of the latter above the cap-nipple and hang ot' the hammer, which brings the general surface ot` the tace-piece into contact with the cap on the nipple before it could touch the tiring-pin. To lock the adjustable face-piece E at either ofthe points named, it may have notches r cut in its rear edge, into which a thumb-slide, s, may be shot or withdrawn from at pleasure. Thus a fair and stra-ight action of the hammer is, or may be, got on either the tiring-pin or cap nipple.

supposing the g'un to open at the breech, as described, by tilting or tipping up the rear ends ot' the barrels, then may such motion be advantageously employed in extract-ingthe shell ofthe exploded cartridge, or, it may be as well, projectingthe head ot' the loose chamber l) by introducing' inte the rear ends or" either barrel a grooved sliding extractor, F, corresponds with the broken annular groove h in the end` of either barrel, and thel inner raised portion or collar of it with the bore ofthe barrel. extractor is operated by a lever, G, pivoted to a projection connected with the barrels, and so tha-t thc lower arm ot' said lever, when the barrels are sluit down and the extractor pushed inward by the breech in closing, lies freely in a space, u; but on tiltingr up the end ot' the barrel a positive motion is communicated to the lever G by an inclined-plane surface, H, causing to be pressed inward the lower arm ofthe level', and its upper arm outward, which latter. acting against the extractor F, projects it more or less outward, and with it, to facilitate removal, the discharged cartridge-shell, by reason of the collar ofthe extractor clippingl the flanged head ot' said shell.

lVhat 1 claim herein as new and useful, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The breech B, provided with a iixedcenteu tire nipple, j', and a sliding tiringpin or pins, e, ineotnbination with the adjustable face-piece E ofthe hammer, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

PIERRE BOURDEREA'UX. 'W i tnesses;

A. Ln CLERC, J. W. UooMBs.

This sliding' 

